"Manon", wrote Puccini to his publisher Giulio Ricordi in 1889, "is a heroine I believe in and therefore she cannot fail to win the heart of the public." This turned out to be a truly prophetic statement since none of Puccinis other world successes were received on their first nights as rapturously as Manon Lescaut. The popularity of Puccinis great masterpiece has never waned and the highly acclaimed Götz Friedrich production at Covent Garden was hailed as an operatic milestone. Two of the worlds leading stars--Kiri Te Kanawa and Placido Domingo--head a strong cast conducted by the brilliant Italian conductor Giuseppe Sinopoli.
Plácido Domingo
as Des Grieux
Kiri Te Kanawa
as Manon Lescaut
Thomas Allen
as Lescaut
Forbes Robinson
as Géronte de Ravoir
Robin Leggate
as Edmond
Anna Cooper
as Madrigal Singer
John Fryatt
as Dance Master
George MacPherson
as Inkeeper
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
as
